Images in Medicine
Image of Bifid Uvula in an Asymptomatic Patient
Correspondence Address :
Khushbu Prasad,
Shalintai Hostel, Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Science, Wardha-442107, Maharashtra, India.
E-mail: khushbu1712prasad@gmail.com
Cleft uvula, Craniofacial abnormalities, Palatal abnormalities, Pierre Robin syndrome, Submucous cleft palate, Velopharyngeal insufficiency
A 39-year-old male presented to the Otorhinolaryngology Department with a sore throat that had been bothering him for five days. Without any severe oropharyngeal anomalies, an incidental bifurcated uvula was observed during assessment (Table/Fig 1). There is no slurred speech or trouble swallowing. No relevant medical history or any congenital problems were mentioned by the patient. Further, none in the family pedigree was reported to have a bifid uvula. The posterior pharyngeal wall looks normal upon examination. Upon closer inspection, neither the lip nor the palate had a cleft. The results of the video-directed laryngoscopy were normal. No syndromic relationship was discovered. Every chest X-ray, Electrocardiogram (ECG), and blood report was within normal limits. Because of the uvula’s distinctive appearance and benign nature, no more diagnostic testing was thought to be required. The non malignant character of the illness was explained to the patient. There was no recommendation for surgical intervention. Although this is thought to be rare, the patient was instructed to come back if anything changed.
A bifid uvula is an abnormal split or division in the uvula or tissue that hangs down at the end of the soft palate in the roof of the mouth (1). Meskin divided the different types of cleft uvulas into the following groups based on their morphology: Type A uvulas are regular, Type B uvulas are bifurcated up to one-fourth of their length, Type C uvulas are bifurcated from one-fourth to three-fourths of their length, and Type D uvulas are bifurcated from three-fourths of their length to their full length (2). This case comes under Type C uvula. Prasad P et al., reported a similar case of an eight-year-old male child who came for dental screening at a private dental clinic, accompanied by his mother, who was visiting for her dental treatment, and was incidentally diagnosed with Type D bifid uvula (3). A bifid uvula has been documented in patients with Cornelia de Lange syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome, and Marfan syndrome (4).
DOI: 10.7860/JCDR/2026/88274.24335
Date of Submission: Feb 16, 2026
Date of Peer Review: Apr 24, 2026
Date of Acceptance: Jun 17, 2026
Date of Publishing: Sep 01, 2026
AUTHOR DECLARATION:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: None
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. Yes
PLAGIARISM CHECKING METHODS:
• Plagiarism X-checker: Mar 11, 2026
• Manual Googling: Jun 13, 2026
• iThenticate Software: Jun 15, 2026 (1%)
ETYMOLOGY: Author Origin
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